child sexual abuse prevention

It is a show where the boss (CEO) of a large company or corporation goes into the job site in disguise to investigate operations of his employees on a daily basis. He spends time getting to know the people who work in his company and learn about their personal and professional challenges. He later sits down with these employees and communicates his observations of their efforts. Great efforts are rewarded and action plans are taken to help those who are less productive.

As parents we can’t always follow our children to work or school and observe everything they do but we can communicate by asking the right questions.

What was the “best thing” or “worst thing” that happened to you today?

Who made you feel “good” or “bad” about yourself today?

What was the “nicest” or “meanest” thing someone said to you today?

Following each of these questions with “Why” can result in better communication and improved relationships.

By expressing interest in your child, paying close attention to their response, and letting them know you share their joy as well as their pain can be rewarding for both of you by building a stronger, better relationship.

What are we doing about it? Does anybody care? It seems to me our news is filled with Child Sexual Abuse with the focus always on the “molester”, “the sex offender”, or the “perpetrator”. What happened to the “victim”? The young girl or boy or teenager whose life has been shattered, their innocence robbed, leaving them defenseless, and silent only to manifest the guilt, shame, and fear. The emotional effects may last forever whether they are “victimized” once or one hundred times. And yet we do not hear about the pain they are struggling with, where they go for treatment, or how their life or their family’s lives’ are significantly changed forever.

Over 90% of the victims know their abuser. Isn’t that alarming?

It is usually someone they know or trust!

Child Sexual Abuse is happening in our homes, our schools, our day care centers, on the school bus, even in our churches.

1 in 4 girls and 1in 6 boys will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday

Every parent and child must know it is never, ever the fault of the victim – always the abuser!

The commonality amongst most parents is to be protective of our children. In many cases “overprotected”. We teach our children to look both ways before crossing the street. We teach them bike safety, car safety, and fire safety, but we sometimes fail to teach our children how to protect and defend their own bodies against these monsters that aren’t the least bit affected until they get caught and very seldom show remorse.

Let’s pay more attention to the ‘warning signs”; become better educated to empower our children with safety skills; and learn to better communicate with our children. Unless we teach our children to protect themselves they do not stand a chance.

Predators are everywhere! They prey on the innocent and the vulnerable! And yes, sometimes they are really “nice” guys!

Let’s also help support those who have suffered in silence for so long!

If we focus more an awareness and prevention consistently we would not have to worry about lifelong treatment.

I admire the people who are willing to give their time, their effort, and their support to contribute to the success of a fundraiser in a community.

At a recent fundraising event, Co-founder Lou Bivona, Chairman of the New York Chapter of NCMEC who also serves on the Board of Directors of various other organizations, profoundly embraced the audience with his sincere message that Child Sexual Abuse significantly affects the victim as well as their families in many ways throughout their life. In fact, just about every volunteer or attendee at the event had been affected in some way by Child Sexual Abuse.

Lou, also a “victim” carries the pain and guilt that so many survivors do, but lets nothing stop him short of giving back and helping other families. He made his life mission working to prevent Child Sexual Abuse.

He, also, led efforts in 2004 to establish the Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester, New York, which streamlines the process of law enforcement and human service professionals to address the needs of child sexual abuse victims and dramatically increases the conviction rate for child sex crimes.

Lou has had an impact on thousands of families, victim because of his efforts to provide education about how to keep every child safer.

I support Lou in his efforts for all he does for communities everywhere. I join him in his mission to eliminate the opportunities for the perpetrators to touch our children, and I will continue to educate the public.

Child Sexual Abuse is a violation of trust that can happen Anywhere, Anytime, to Anyone!

Whether it is one of these organizations or another of your choosing, give generously from your heart. Whatever way you choose to help it will inspire and impact someone in a very significant way.

Trust me, to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world!

Sharon Grace ~ author “When the Trust is Broken” Just when you think your children are safe Think Again